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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: Extant literature has generally conceptualized nonsuicidal self-injury severity in terms of its frequency, although more recently researchers have assessed nonsuicidal self-injury severity by the number of different methods used. There is limited evidence, however, regarding the interaction of these indices in the prediction of clinical severity.
METHOD: The current study aimed to examine these relationships among 2,707 undergraduate students (70% female, Mage = 20.60, 29.95% with nonsuicidal self-injury history) who completed online self-report questionnaires. Analyses utilized structural equation modeling trees and structural equation modeling forests to identify potential subgroups based on nonsuicidal self-injury frequency and/or methods in relation to indicators of clinical severity.
RESULTS: Results revealed splits in the following: (a) frequency (between 0 and 1 act); (b) among those with ≥1 acts, frequency (between 8 and 9 acts); (c) among those with ≥1 acts, number of methods (between 1 and 2 methods); and (d) among those with ≥9 acts and ≥2 methods, frequency (between 15 and 16 acts). Structural equation modeling forest findings demonstrated the relative importance of nonsuicidal self-injury frequency in predicting clinical severity.
CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that although nonsuicidal self-injury frequency provides a marker of clinical severity, the combination of frequency and the number of methods used may be more valuable in determining severity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)
Language: en |